Stroller with removeable seat

ABSTRACT

An apparatus comprising a stroller including a frame, a stroller seat having side rails, and a swing unit coupled between the side rail and frame to support the stroller seat on the frame, an infant carrier, carrier-support adapters, each including a base selectively coupled to one of the side rails, and a carrier mount extending from the base and being selectively coupled to the infant carrier.

[0001] This application is a divisional of Ser. No. 09/103,886 filedJun. 24, 1998 which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of Ser. No.60/050,702 filed Jun. 24, 1997.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a juvenile stroller, andparticularly to a stroller configured to receive a removable infantcarrier. More particularly, the present invention relates to a apparatusincluding removable carrier-support adapters mounted on the stroller tosupport an infant carrier therebetween.

[0003] According to the present invention, a stroller includes a frame,a stroller seat coupled to the frame, and a pair of removablecarrier-support adapters positioned and mounted to support a removableinfant carrier on the frame and above the stroller seat.

[0004] In preferred embodiments, the carrier-support adapters aresnapped onto the frame to enable a user to mount an infant carrier onthe frame above the stroller seat. In one embodiment, the stroller seatis mounted for controlled movement relative to the frame and, in anotherembodiment, the stroller seat is fixed to the frame.

[0005] The infant carrier is adapted to be mounted, for example, on thestroller frame or on a base anchored to a seat in a vehicle. Thecarrier-support adapters are configured to enable a child to be seatedin the stroller seat while the carrier-support adapters remain mountedon the frame. The carrier-support adapters can be removed from the frameeasily by a user when they are not needed to support an infant carrierabove the stroller seat.

[0006] In one embodiment, each carrier-support adapter is configured tobe coupled to, and removable from, the frame. In another embodiment,each carrier-support adapter is configured to be coupled to, andremovable from the stroller seat.

[0007] Also in preferred embodiments, the stroller includes a canopythat is adapted to be mounted to the frame to cover the stroller seat.The canopy is also adapted to be mounted to the carrier-support adaptersto cover an infant carrier mounted on the carrier-support adapters tolie above the stroller seat.

[0008] Additional features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the followingdetailed description of the preferred embodiment exemplifying the bestmode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanyingfigures in which:

[0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus in accordance withthe present invention showing a stroller including a frame and astroller seat having a side rail, a detachable carrier-support adaptercoupled to the side rail, an infant carrier coupled to the supportadaptor, and a base separated from the stroller and formed to befastened within a vehicle;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a side elevation view, with portions broken away, of onecarrier-support adaptor of FIG. 1 showing the carrier-support adapterincluding a stroller mount coupled to the side rail of the stroller seatand a carrier mount having a body portion housing in part a clampingassembly that includes a pivotable clamp arm and a biasing springcoupled to the clamp arm;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2showing the stroller mount of the carrier-support adaptor including aplatform resting on the side rail, two arms straddling the side rail,one of the arms including a tab engaging the side rail, and a secondlocking mechanism extending from the platform between the two arms, thesecond locking mechanism including a flexible locking tab thereon;

[0013]FIG. 4 is side view of a portion of the infant carrier and thesupport adaptor of FIG. 1 showing the infant carrier including amounting post contacting an upwardly facing first cam surface providedon the pivotable clamp arm to pivot the clamp arm against its biasingspring toward a slot-opening position as the infant carrier is loweredinto engagement with the underlying carrier-support adaptor;

[0014]FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of the infant carrier in aninstalled position in the carrier-support adaptor showing the infantcarrier including a release button positioned to engage selectively asecond camming surface on the clamp arm and showing the mounting postseated in a U-shaped mounting slot of the body portion and the clamp armpositioned to lie in a closed position;

[0015]FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 showing the position ofthe release button after having been depressed manually by a caregiverand moved to a mounting post-releasing position to pivot the clamp armagainst the biasing spring to a mounting post-receiving open positionallowing a user to lift the mounting post out of the U-shaped mountingslot without interference from the clamp arm during removal of theinfant carrier from the carrier-support adaptor;

[0016]FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 2showing the clamp arm mounted in the body portion of the carrier mountby a pivot member and showing the flexible locking tab of the secondlocking mechanism engaging the side rail;

[0017]FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the infant carrier of FIG. 1showing the infant carrier fully installed in the base and showing (inphantom) a curved floor inside the infant carrier, an external bottomwall on infant carrier, and an infant carrier-receiving floor positionedto lie within the base;

[0018]FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the infant carrier and the base ofFIG. 8 following removal of the infant carrier from the base with theinfant carrier shown in full elevation and the detachable base shown ina transverse sectional view and showing (in phantom) one of the clamparms and clamp arm-biasing springs in the detachable base and one of themounting posts and release buttons in the infant carrier and showing thecontoured infant carrier-receiving floor in the base;

[0019]FIG. 10 is an exploded assembly view of the apparatus of thepresent invention showing the stroller having two side rails that eachinclude an aperture therethrough, two carrier-support adapters that eachinclude a carrier mount having a body portion housing a clampingassembly, a stroller mount having a locking mechanism sized forextension through the aperture in the side rail and a platform with ahole therethrough, the infant carrier being formed to fasten to theclamping assembly, and a canopy having a fabric cover and spaced apartposts coupled to the fabric cover and sized for selective extension intoboth the slots formed in the side rails of the stroller and the holesformed in the carrier-support adapter to mount the canopy on thestroller;

[0020]FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of an apparatus inaccordance with the present invention showing a stroller including aframe and a stroller seat coupled to the frame and showing a detachablecarrier-support adapter configured to be coupled to the frame and aninfant carrier configured to be coupled to the support adaptors;

[0021]FIG. 12 is an enlarged side view with portions broken away of onesupport adapter mounted upon the stroller and supporting an infantcarrier showing the stroller including a frame member and a saddleextending over the frame member and the carrier-support adapterincluding a stroller mount coupled to the saddle and a carrier mountincluding a clamp assembly being pivoted by a release button of theinfant carrier to a mounting post-receiving open position; and

[0022]FIG. 13 is a view taken along lines 13-13 of FIG. 12 showing thesaddle defining a central cavity that houses a flexible pivot pintherein and showing the stroller mount of the carrier-support adapterincluding an aperture receiving the pivot pin therethrough to couple thecarrier-support adapter on the stroller.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, apparatus 10 is provided that enables acaregiver (not shown) to transport, as shown by arrow 13, an infant (notshown) in an infant carrier 12 from a stroller 14 to a base 18 mountedin a car (not shown) without disruption. In addition, apparatus 10enables the caregiver to remove infant carrier 12 from stroller 14 andimmediately place the infant or another child into the stroller 14.Thus, the caregiver may quickly and easily convert stroller 14 frominfant to toddler use, by simply removing infant carrier 12 fromstroller 14.

[0024] Apparatus 10 includes stroller 14 that includes a set ofdetachable carrier-support adapters 16 configured to couple infantcarrier 12 on stroller 14. Carrier-support adapters 16 enable thecaregiver to place the infant in a stroller seat 66 without removingcarrier-support adapters 16. When infant carrier 12 is mounted onstroller 14, infant carrier 12 is positioned so that the infant facesthe caregiver enabling interaction with the infant. Additionally, infantcarrier 12 is removable from stroller 14 and base 18 so that infantcarrier 12 can also be used alone to transport an infant or child (notshown) to a wide variety of locations. Referring to FIG. 1, apparatus 10also includes base 18 separated from stroller 14 and formed to receiveselectively infant carrier 12. Infant carrier 12 may be mounted eitherto carrier-support adapters 16 or to base 18 depending upon the desiredlocation of the infant.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, for example, infant carrier 12 may be mountedon carrier-support adapters 16 while the infant is traveling in stroller14. In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, infant carrier 12 can be mountedselectively on base 18 while the infant is traveling on in an automobile(not shown). An infant carrier 12 can also be mounted directly on anautomobile seat or the like while the infant is traveling in theautomobile to permit travel in a vehicle with the infant when base 18 isnot conveniently accessible. When infant carrier 12 is mounted directlyto an automobile seat (not shown), carrier 12 is positioned so that theinfant faces rearwardly when held in carrier 12.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, infant carrier 12 is coupled selectively tocarrier-support adapters 16. It is understood that a wide variety ofinfant carriers are suitable for use with the present inventionincluding the infant carrier described in detail in U.S. Pat. No.5,567,008 entitled “Portable Infant Seat Having A Detachable Base”, toCone, II, the specification of which is incorporated herein byreference. Infant carrier 12 includes a head end 20, a foot end 22, andtwo longitudinally extending side walls 24, 26 extending between headand foot ends 20, 22. Additionally, infant carrier 12 includes acontinuous lip 30 extending about head end 20, foot end 22, and sidewalls 24, 26 of infant carrier 12. Lip 30 is formed to define adownwardly facing U-shaped channel 34 about infant carrier 12. Inaddition, infant carrier 12 includes an infant seat 28 sized and shapedto receive the infant therein. As shown in FIG. 8, infant seat 28 has afloor 25 with a top side 27 and a bottom side 29. Infant carrier 12 isalso formed to include a shell 32 coupled to floor 25.

[0027] A pivotable U-shaped handle 36 is coupled to side walls 24, 26 ofinfant carrier 12 to facilitate transport of portable infant carrier 12.Handle 36 is coupled to side walls 24, 26 by two rotatable hubs 40, oneof which is shown in FIG. 1. It is understood that while only hub 40that is positioned to lie adjacent to side wall 24 will be illustratedand described, hub 40 adjacent to side wall 26 is formed in a similarmanner. Hub 40 is mounted to side wall 24 of infant carrier 12approximately half-way between head end 20 and foot end 22. Hub 40includes a hub cover 42 that is appended integrally to the terminal endof handle 36. Hub cover 42 is mounted for rotation relative to side wall24 by a connector 44 that is coincident with the axis of rotation 41 ofhub 40. While connector 44 is illustratively a rivet, it is understoodthat a wide variety of connectors such as pins, screws, rods, and thelike may be used in accordance with the present invention.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 4-6, a mounting post 46 is located inside ofchannel 34 and adjacent to side wall 24. Mounting post 46 providessupport to maintain the spaced-apart relation of side wall 24 and lip30. While mounting post 46 is illustratively cylindrical in shape,mounting post 46 may take on a wide variety of shapes and sizes inaccordance with the present invention. Hub 40 freely rotates from aposition in which handle 36 is approximately flush with head end 20 ofcarrier 12 as shown in FIG. 8 to a position as shown in FIG. 1. Whilehub 40 is illustrated and described for supporting handle 36, a widevariety of hubs and various attachment mechanisms may be used inaccordance with the present invention.

[0029] Referring now to FIG. 1, infant seat 12 further includesspring-loaded release buttons 108 that permit the caregiver to removeinfant carrier 12 from carrier-support adapters 16. As shown in FIGS.4-6, each release button 108 is positioned to lie in a depression 116formed in lip 30. Each depression 116 is positioned to lie near hub 40and toward head end 20 of infant carrier 12. Each depression 116 isdefined by a bottom wall 118 having an aperture 119 therethrough and arim 120 extending between lip 30 and bottom wall 118. Release buttons108 include a top wall 122 sized to fit inside of depression 116 andopposite bottom tab 124 extending from top wall 122 through aperture119. Compression springs (not shown) yieldably urge release buttons 108away from bottom wall 118 so that top wall 122 of release buttons 108normally lie essentially flush with lip 30 of infant carrier 12.

[0030] Lip 30 of infant carrier 12, as shown in FIG. 8, is furtherformed to further include a slot 50. Slot 50 is sized to receive aconventional vehicle seat belt (not shown) so that infant carrier 12 canbe mounted directly to a vehicle seat (not shown), independent of base18. Seat belt (not shown)is passed through slot 50 and across the top ofinfant carrier 12 when infant carrier 12 is mounted directly to vehicleseat (not shown) without using base 18. Infant carrier 12 is configuredto face rearwardly when infant carrier 12 is mounted directly to vehicleseat (not shown). A harness (not shown) is provided to restrain aninfant seated in infant carrier 12.

[0031] Infant carrier 12 is formed to be mounted selectively on stroller14 by carrier-support adapters 16. As shown in FIG. 1, stroller 14includes a frame 51. Frame 51 includes a front frame member 52 and arear frame member 54 coupled to first frame member 52 to form aseat-receiving cavity 56 therebetween. Front and rear frame members 52,54 are joined along a pivot axis 58 by a frame connector (not shown)that extends from an exterior side 60 of stroller 14 to an interior side62. A handle 64 is also coupled to front frame member 52.

[0032] Further, stroller 14 includes a stroller seat 66 that ispositioned to lie in seat-receiving cavity 56 and is coupled to frame 51by a swing unit 70. Stroller seat 66 includes a side rail 68 and swingunit 70 connects frame member 52 and side rail 68. Swing unit 70 permitsstroller seat 66 to move relative to frame 51 in a swinging type motion,such as a “rocking” motion or “gliding motion”.

[0033] Swing unit 70 includes first and second seat-coupling bars 450,452, a fore U-shaped swing arm 454 connected and arranged to extendbetween frame 51 and seat-coupling bars 450, 452, and a rear U-shapedswing arm 456 spaced apart from fore U-shaped swing arm 454 andconnected and arranged to extend between frame 51 and seat-coupling bars450, 452 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0034] Seat member 72 is connected to seat-coupling bars 450, 452 asshown in FIG. 1. Seat member 72 includes a seat frame 472 extendingbetween side rail 68 and seat-coupling bars 450, 452. Referring now toFIG. 10, seat frame 472 includes an attachment pin 462 arranged to facetoward first seat-coupling bar 550 and a second attachment pin (notshown) arranged to face toward second seat-coupling bar 552. Each offirst and second seat-coupling bars 450, 452 is formed to include a seatattachment pin-receiving slots 470 having an open end 474 configured toreceive seat attachment pin 462 as shown in FIG. 10. A seat lockingdevice 476 is connected to each of seat-coupling bars 450, 452 andconfigured to close open end 474 of first seat attachment pin-receivingslot 470 to trap seat attachment pin 462 and second seat attachment pin(not shown) in seat-coupling bars 450, 452 respectively. While swingunit 70 is illustrated and described, a wide variety of swing assembliesmay be included in apparatus 10 of the present invention.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, side rail 68 of stroller seat 66 includes topsurface 69 and side walls 71, 73 depending from top surface 69.Referring now to FIG. 10, top surface 69 is formed to include anaperture 75 therethrough. In preferred embodiments, wheels 74 arecoupled to front and rear frame members 52, 54 of frame 51 and a basket76 is positioned to lie in seat-receiving cavity 56 between wheels 74and stroller seat 66.

[0036] Referring now to FIG. 10, stroller 14 further includes acollapsible canopy 160. Canopy 160 has a fabric portion 162 with afabric covered window portion 164, a frame 166 that supports fabricportion 162, hubs 168 coupled to frame 166, and mounting posts 170 thatare spaced apart from one another and coupled to hub 168 to permitpivoting movement of fabric portion 162 relative to mounting posts 170.See FIG. 10. Canopy 160 is coupled directly to stroller seat 66 byextending each mounting post 170 through respective aperture 75 in siderail 68 when carrier-support adaptors 16 are removed from side rails 68.As will be discussed hereafter, canopy 160 may also be mounted onsupport adaptors 16.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, stroller 14 also includes carrier-supportadapters 16 that are configured to cooperate with stroller seat 66 todefine a cavity 17 sized to receive infant carrier 12 therein.Illustratively, carrier-support adapters 16 enable the caregiver toattach infant carrier 12 onto stroller 14 without having to remove theinfant from infant carrier 12; to remove infant carrier 12 from stroller14 without having to remove the infant from infant carrier 12; and toplace the infant or another child in stroller seat 66 without firstremoving carrier-support adapters 16. Later, carrier-support adapters 16can be removed from side rail 68 when infant seat 12 is no longerneeded.

[0038] Carrier-support adapters 16 are mounted selectively upon siderail 68 and are arranged to support infant carrier 12. Eachcarrier-support adapter 16 includes a stroller mount or rail-receivingbase 82. Stroller mount 82 is mounted upon side rail 68 and includes aplatform 83. Platform 83 is configured to rest upon top surface 69 ofside rail 68. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, platform 83 includes a bottomside 79 configured to engage top surface 69 of rail 68, and opposite topside 81, side walls 85, 87, and opposite ends 89, 91. Arms 130, 132 arepositioned to lie at one end 89 of stroller mount 82 and to extend fromopposite edges of platform 83. Arms 130, 132 may be positioned to lie ina variety of positions on platform 83 in accordance with the presentinvention.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, arms 130, 132 are configured to straddle sidewalls 71, 73 of side rail 68. One arm 132 includes a flexible tabportion 134 that engages selectively side wall 73 of side rail 68. Inaddition, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, stroller mount 82 includes a secondlocking mechanism 136 that is sized for extension through aperture 75 inside rail 68 and for selective engagement with side wall 71. Referringnow to FIG. 10, second locking mechanism 136 includes a flexible tab 138that includes a foot portion 140 thereon. Foot portion 140 selectivelyengages wall 71, as shown in FIG. 3. While arms 130, 132 and secondlocking mechanism 136 are illustrated and described, a wide variety ofselectively detachable fastener mechanisms such as latches, buttons,snaps, and the like may be used in accordance with the present inventionto couple selectively carrier-support adapter 16 to side rail 68.

[0040] Carrier-support adapters 16 are also formed to include a carriermount 150 extending from stroller mount 82 to couple selectively infantcarrier 12 thereto. Carrier mount 150 includes a body portion 152 thatcooperates with stroller seat 66 to define cavity 17. Body portion 152also houses a clamping assembly 80 therein. Clamping assembly 80 isconfigured to grip one of mounting posts 46 attached to infant carrier12. A support member 16 and clamping assembly 80 is illustrated in FIGS.2-7. Although there are two clamping assemblies 80 and two mountingposts 46, FIGS. 3-7 will be used in connection with the descriptionbelow of one of those sets of mounting posts 46 and clamping assemblies80. This description, however, applies to both mounting posts 46 andclamping assemblies 80 Each body portion 152 of carrier-support adapter16 that houses clamping assembly 80 includes a top end 156, an oppositebottom end 158 adjacent to stroller mount 82, and side panels 94, 96.Side panels 94, 96 extend between top and bottom ends 156, 158 anddefine a hollow interior cavity 86 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7. Clampingassembly 80 includes an elongated clamp arm 88 mounted inside hollowinterior cavity 86 of body portion 152. As shown in FIG. 5, clamp arm 88extends across the width of interior cavity 86 adjacent to a mountingpost-receiving slot 90 formed in top end 156 of body portion 152. Clamparm 88 is connected to carrier-support adapter 16 by a pivot member 92positioned approximately midway along length of clamp arm 88 as shown,for example, in FIG. 2. Pivot member 92 extends laterally across thewidth of clamp arm 88 and through side panels 94, 96 of support adapter16 as shown in FIG. 7.

[0041] Each clamp arm 88 is configured to couple selectively infant seat12 to carrier-support adapter 16. As shown in FIG. 4, clamp arm 88includes an upper end 98 and a lower end 100. Upper end 98 includes ahook 102, a first cam surface 104, and a second cam surface 106. Hook102 faces toward foot end 22 of infant carrier 12 and is sized toencircle partially its companion mounting post 46 when infant carrier 12is seated fully in stroller 14 as shown in FIG. 5. Hook 102 and pivotpin 92 are positioned relative to companion mounting post-receiving slot90 so that hook 102 will trap mounting post 46 securely when infantcarrier 12 is seated fully in stroller 14 and each mounting post 46 isseated fully in its companion slot 90. It will be understood that thisclamping of mounting post 46 by hook 102 traps mounting post 46 andpositively restrains mounting post 46 from both general horizontal andgeneral vertical movement relative to hook 102. Hook 102 also restrainsinfant carrier 12 from both general horizontal and general verticalmovement relative to carrier-support adapters 16.

[0042] First cam surface 104 is arranged relative to pivot member 92 andmounting post 46 so that clamp arm 88 will pivot in a counter clockwisedirection, as shown by arrow 21 in FIG. 4, when first cam surface 104 issubjected to a contacting force. Such contacting forces occur whenmounting post 46 contacts first cam surface 104 as infant carrier 12 isseated onto carrier-support adapters 16 as shown in FIG. 4. First camsurface 104 is positioned to lie at upper end 98 adjacent to hook 102.Second cam surface 106 is disposed adjacent to first cam surface 104 andis arranged relative to pivot member 92 so that clamp arm 88 will pivotin a counter clockwise direction, as shown by arrow 21 in FIG. 6, whensecond cam surface 106 is subjected to a contacting force (generated,for example, by a manually operated release button 108).

[0043] Each clamping assembly 80 further includes a spring 110 thatbiases clamp arm 88 in a clockwise direction as shown by arrow 23 inFIG. 5 to a closed position 111 with hook 102 resting against a sidewall 114 of mounting post-receiving slot 90 as shown in FIG. 2. Spring110 is attached to lower end 100 of clamp arm 88 and to a spring-supportpost 112 that is integrally appended to side panels 94, 96 ofcarrier-support adapter 16. While clock-wise and counter-clock wisedirections are described herein, clamp arm 88 may be positioned to liein various configurations and may pivot in any number of directionswithout exceeding the scope of the present invention. In addition, whileclamping assembly 80 is illustrated and described, a variety of latchingmechanisms may be used in accordance with the present invention tocouple selectively infant carrier 12 onto carrier-support adapters 16.While stroller 14 is illustrated and described, the stroller may includea wide variety of frames, wheels, and seats in accordance with thepresent invention.

[0044] Base 18 is positioned to lie spaced-apart from stroller 14 and isconfigured to receive selectively infant seat 12 therein to mount infantseat 12 in a vehicle (not shown). Base 18 is described in detail in U.S.Pat. No. 5,567,008 entitled “Portable Infant Seat Having A DetachableBase”, to Cone, II, the specification of which is incorporated herein byreference. As shown in FIG. 1, base 18 includes two spaced-apart uprightwalls 144, 146 that each include a clamping apparatus 148 therein. SeeFIG. 9. Moreover, each wall 144, 146 includes a slot 154 sized toreceive mounting post 46 therein. Clamping apparatus 148 is formed in asimilar manner to clamping mechanism 80 and like reference numbers areused in the figures to denote like components. Clamping apparatus 148selectively couples infant carrier 12 to base 18.

[0045] Base 18 is coupled selectively to the vehicle seat by a seat belt(not shown). The seat belt is passed through apertures formed in sidewalls of base 18. As shown in FIG. 8, shell 32 of infant carrier 12 isoffset by a specified distance to provide clearance for the seat belt(not shown). While base 18 is illustrated and described, a wide varietyof vehicle seat bases may be used in accordance with the presentinvention.

[0046] To install carrier-support adapters 16 onto stroller seat 66, thecaregiver must simply place stroller support 82 onto side rail 68 sothat second locking mechanism 136 is aligned with aperture 75 formed inside rail 68. The caregiver then presses carrier-support adapter 16toward side rail 68 until foot portion 140 engages wall 71 and flexibletab portion 134 engages side wall 73 of side rail 68, as shown in FIG.2. To remove carrier-support adapters 16, the caregiver must pull footportion 140 from wall 71 and tab portion 134 from side wall 73. At thistime, carrier-support adapter 16 is released from side rail 68. Sincethe support adapters 16 are oriented front to back on the stroller bythe location of the locking mechanism 136 and aperture 75 and since theinfant seat is oriented front to back on the support adapters 16 bylocation of the release button 108 and clamp arm 88, head portion 20 ofthe infant seat 12 must be located at the front of the stroller to facehandle 64.

[0047] The caregiver can attach canopy 160 above stroller seat whencarrier-support adapters 16 are removed from side rails 68. Thecaregiver simply extends each mounting post 170 through respectiveaperture 75 in side rail 68. When carrier-support adaptors 16 arecoupled to side rails 68, the caregiver must simply extend mountingposts 170 through holes 172 formed through platform 83 of adaptors 16.

[0048] To lock infant carrier 12 to carrier-support adapter 16, a personholding infant carrier 12 positions infant carrier 12 over stroller seat66 and over carrier-support adapters 16. Carrier 12 is lowered towardstroller 14 so that mounting posts 46 contact underlying clampingassemblies 80 provided in spaced-apart carrier-support adapters 16. Asinfant carrier 12 is lowered toward an installed position 126 lyingspaced-apart from stroller seat 66 in cavity 17, clamping assemblies 80are moved to a mounting post-receiving open position 128, as shown inFIG. 6, allowing mounting posts 46 to enter mounting post-receivingslots 90 formed in upright carrier-support adapters 16. When infantcarrier 12 is in installed position 126 on carrier-support adapters 16,as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, clamping assemblies 80 function to trapmounting posts 46 in slots 90 thus locking infant carrier 12 to stroller14. Though mounting posts 46 also provide structural support to hubs 40,it can now be understood that pivotable carrying handle 64 operatesindependently of clamping assemblies 80 and may be moved to any positionrelative to infant carrier 12 during locking and unlocking of infantcarrier 12 to and from stroller 14.

[0049] As infant carrier 12 is lowered into carrier-support adapters 16,mounting posts 46 contact first cam surfaces 104 on leading edges ofclamp arms 88. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the camming engagement ofmounting post 46 to first cam surface 104 forces clamp arm 88 to pivotagainst tension spring 110. As infant carrier 12 is lowered betweencarrier-support adapters 16, the camming engagement of mounting post 46and clamp arm 88 causes clamp arm 88 to pivot to open position 128.Continued lowering of infant carrier 12 places infant carrier 12 ininstalled position 126 within carrier-support adapter 16 as shown inFIG. 5. Once infant carrier 12 is in installed position 126 and mountingpost 46 has advanced past hook 102, clamp arm 88 springs back to closedposition 111 trapping mounting post 46 in slot 90 and locking infantcarrier 12 to stroller 14.

[0050] To remove infant carrier 12 from stroller 14, the caregivergrasps both opposing carrier side walls 24, 26 and depresses bothrelease buttons 108 as shown in FIG. 6. Camming engagement of bottomends 124 of release buttons 108 and second cam surfaces 106 of clamparms 88 pivots clamp arms 88 against tension springs 110 to openposition 128. Once clamp arms 88 are in open positions 128, thecaregiver simply lifts infant carrier 12 from carrier-support adapters16 as shown by phantom arrow 26. Apparatus 10 provides the caregiverwith the ability to simply lower infant carrier 12 onto carrier-supportadapters 16 to lock infant carrier 12 to stroller 14 and to depressrelease buttons 108 and lift infant carrier 12 from carrier-supportadapters 16 to unlock infant carrier 12 from stroller 14. Thisconvenience makes it easy for caregivers to convert quickly stroller 14from infant to toddler use, by simply removing infant carrier 12 fromstroller 14. In addition, this one apparatus 10 can be used to carryinfants in strollers, automobiles, and carry infants while away fromautomobiles.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, infant seat 12 is installed on base 18by lowering infant carrier 12 onto base 18. Mounting posts 46 contactfirst cam surfaces 104 on clamp arms 88. As infant carrier 12 is loweredbetween side walls 144, 146, the camming engagement of mounting post 46and clamp arm 88 causes clamp arm 88 to pivot to open position 128.Continued lowering of infant carrier 12 places infant carrier 12 ininstalled position 126 within base 18 as shown in FIG. 8.

[0052] To remove infant carrier 12 from base 18, the caregiver graspsboth opposing carrier side walls 24, 26 and depresses both releasebuttons 108. Camming engagement of bottom ends 124 of release buttons108 and second cam surfaces 106 of clamp arms 88 pivots clamp arms 88against tension springs 110 to open position 128. Once clamp arms 88 arein open positions 128, the caregiver simply lifts infant carrier 12 fromcarrier-support adapters 16.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 11, an apparatus 210 is provided in accordancewith the present invention that enables a caregiver (not shown) totransport an infant (not shown) in an infant carrier 12 in a stroller214. In addition, apparatus 210 enables the caregiver to remove infantcarrier 12 from stroller 214 and immediately place the infant or anotherchild into stroller 214. Thus, the caregiver may quickly and easilyconvert stroller 214 from infant to toddler use, by simply removinginfant carrier 12 from stroller 214.

[0054] Apparatus 210 includes stroller 214 having a set of detachablecarrier-support adapters 216 mounted on stroller 214 to receiveselectively infant carrier 12. Carrier-support adapters 216 enable thecaregiver to place the infant in a stroller seat 266 of stroller 214without removing carrier-support adapters 216.

[0055] Stroller 214 is shown in FIG. 11 and is formed to receivecarrier-support adapters 216. Stroller 214 includes a frame 251. Frame251 includes a front frame member 252 and a rear frame member 254coupled to first frame member 252 to form a seat-receiving cavity 256therebetween. Front frame member 252 also includes a handle 264. Asshown in FIG. 11, a saddle 267 is coupled to front frame member 252.Connectors 219 extend through saddle 267 and frame member 252 to couplesaddle 267 thereon. As shown in FIG. 12, a frame connector 253 extendsthrough saddle 267 and rear frame member 254 to permit pivotablemovement between front and rear frame members 252, 254.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 11, saddle 267 includes a top portion 269resting upon front frame member 252 and side panels 271, 273 extendingfrom top portion 269 (see FIG. 13) to define a frame-receiving cavity298 therebetween. Side panel 271 includes an aperture 296 therethrough.In addition, saddle 267 is formed to couple carrier-support adapter 216thereon. As shown in FIG. 13, saddle 267 includes a flexible tab portion302 portioned to lie within the frame-receiving cavity 298. Tab portion302 includes a generally U-shaped base 306 spring-biased between sidepanels 271, 273 and a pin 304 extending through aperture 296. Pin 304 isillustrated and described, that pin may be any number of latchingdevices and may be positioned in any number of locations on side panels271, 273. In addition, it is within the scope of the present inventionto place flexible tab portion 302 within front frame member 252.

[0057] Further, stroller 214 includes a stroller seat 266 that ispositioned to lie in seat-receiving cavity 256 and is coupled to frame251. Stroller seat 266 includes a seat portion 272, a back portion 270,and side panels 268 extending between seat and back portions 272, 270.Side panels 268 are coupled to frame 251. Wheels 274 are coupled tofront and rear frame members 252, 254 and a basket 276 is positioned tolie in seat-receiving cavity 256 between wheels 274 and stroller seat266.

[0058] Carrier-support adapter 216 are coupled to frame 251 andconfigured to cooperate with stroller seat 266 to define a cavity 217sized to receive infant carrier 12 therein. Illustratively,carrier-support adapters 216 enable the caregiver to attach infantcarrier 12 onto stroller 214 without having to remove the infant frominfant carrier 12; to remove infant carrier 12 from stroller 214 withouthaving to remove the infant from infant carrier 12; and to place theinfant or another child in stroller seat 266 of stroller 214 withoutfirst removing carrier-support adapters 216. Later, carrier-supportadapters 216 can be removed from frame 251 when infant seat 12 is nolonger needed.

[0059] Carrier-support adapters 216 are mounted selectively upon saddle267 and are arranged to support infant carrier 12, as shown in FIG. 11.Each carrier-support adapter 216 includes a stroller mount 282. Strollermount 282 is coupled to saddle 267 and includes a platform 283.Referring now to FIG. 13, platform 283 includes a bottom side 279 facingframe member 252, an opposite top side 281, and arms 285, 287 extendingfrom top side 281. Arms 285, 287 and platform 283 cooperate to define acavity 300 therebetween. In addition, arm 285 is formed to include anaperture 310 that is in general alignment with aperture 296 whencarrier-support adapter 216 is mounted upon saddle 267.

[0060] Carrier-support adapters 216 are also formed to include a carriermount 250 extending from stroller mount 282 to couple selectively infantcarrier 12 thereto. Carrier mount 250 includes a body portion 252 thatcooperates with stroller seat 266 to define cavity 17. Body portion 252also houses clamping assembly 80 therein. Clamping assembly 80 isgenerally the same as assembly 80 previously described and likereference numerals will be used to denote like components. Each bodyportion 252 of carrier-support adapter 216 that houses clamping assembly80 includes a top end 256, an opposite bottom end 258 adjacent tostroller mount 282, and side panels 320, 322. Side panels 320, 322extend between top and bottom ends 256, 258 and define a hollow interiorcavity 324 as shown in FIG. 13. Elongated clamp arm 88 is mounted insidehollow interior cavity 324 of body portion 252. While stroller 214 isillustrated and described, it is understood that the stroller mayinclude a wide variety of frames, wheels, and seats in accordance withthe present invention.

[0061] To install carrier-support adapters 216 onto frame 251, saddle267 is inserted into cavity 300 of carrier-support adapters 216.Carrier-support adapter 216 is adjusted so that aperture 310 formed inarm 285 is aligned with pin 304. At this time, base 306 biases pin 304through aperture 310 to couple carrier-support adapter 216 to saddle267. To remove carrier-support adapters 216 from frame 251, thecaregiver must simply press, as shown by arrow 330 in FIG. 13 pin 304through aperture 310. At this time, carrier-support adapter 216 isreleased from saddle 267.

[0062] To lock infant carrier 12 to carrier-support adapter 216, aperson holding infant carrier 12 positions infant carrier 12 overstroller seat 266 and over carrier-support adapters 216. Carrier 12 islowered toward stroller 214 so that mounting posts 46 contact underlyingclamping assemblies 80 provided in spaced-apart carrier-support adapters216. As infant carrier 12 is lowered toward an installed position 126lying spaced-apart from stroller seat 266 in cavity 217, clampingassemblies 80 are moved to a mounting post-receiving open position 128,as previously described, allowing mounting posts 46 to enter mountingpost-receiving slots 90 formed in upright carrier-support adapters 216.

[0063] As infant carrier 12 is lowered into carrier-support adapters216, mounting posts 46 contact first cam surfaces 104 on leading edgesof clamp arms 88. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the camming engagement ofmounting post 46 to first cam surface 104 forces clamp arm 88 to pivotagainst tension spring 110. As infant carrier 12 is lowered betweencarrier-support adapters 216, the camming engagement of mounting post 46and clamp arm 88 causes clamp arm 88 to pivot to open position 128.Continued lowering of infant carrier 12 places infant carrier 12 ininstalled position 126 within carrier-support adapter 216. Once infantcarrier 12 is in installed position 126 and mounting post 46 hasadvanced past hook 102, clamp arm 88 springs back to closed position 111trapping mounting post 46 in slot 90 and locking infant carrier 12 tostroller 214.

[0064] To remove infant carrier 12 from stroller 214, the caregivergrasps both opposing carrier side walls 24, 26 and depresses bothrelease buttons 108 as shown in FIG. 12. Camming engagement of bottomends 124 of release buttons 108 and second cam surfaces 106 of clamparms 88 pivots clamp arms 88 against tension springs 110 to openposition 128. Once clamp arms 88 are in open positions 128, thecaregiver simply lifts infant carrier 12 from carrier-support adapters216. Apparatus 210 provides the caregiver with the ability to lowerinfant carrier 12 onto carrier-support adapters 216 to lock infantcarrier 12 to stroller 214 and to depress release buttons 108 and liftinfant carrier 12 from carrier-support adapters 216 to unlock infantcarrier 12 from stroller 214. This convenience makes it easy forcaregivers to convert stroller 214 from infant to toddler use quickly,by simply removing infant carrier 12 from stroller 214. In addition,this one apparatus 210 can be used to carry infants in strollers,automobiles, and carry infants while away from automobiles.

[0065] Although the invention has been described in detail withreference to a preferred embodiment, variations and modifications existwithin the scope and spirit of the invention as described and defined inthe following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising a stroller including astroller seat having side rails and a basket spaced apart from thestroller seat, an infant carrier, and carrier-support adapters, eachcarrier-support adapter including a base selectively coupled to the siderail and a carrier mount extending from the base and being selectivelycoupled to the infant carrier, each base defining a channel thereinsized to receive the side rail.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 , whereinthe base of each carrier-support adapter includes a platform and armsextending from the platform and the arms straddle the side rail when thebase is coupled to the stroller.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 , whereinone of the arms includes a tab portion that selectively engages the siderail.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the base includes a lockingtab extending from the platform into the channel for selectiveengagement with the side rail.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein theside rail includes an aperture therethrough and the locking tab extendsthrough the aperture and engages the side rail when the base is coupledto the stroller.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the base includesopposite ends, the arms are positioned to lie adjacent to one of theends, and the locking tab is spaced-apart from the arms.
 7. Theapparatus of claim 6 , wherein the side rail includes a top surface andside walls depending from the top surface and the tab portion of the armselectively engages one of the side walls and the locking tabselectively engages the opposite side wall.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each side rail includes an aperture therethrough and furthercomprising a canopy that includes a fabric portion, a frame thatsupports the fabric portion, and mounting posts that are spaced apartfrom one another, and the mounting posts selectively extend through theapertures when the carrier-support adapters are removed from the siderails.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein base of each of thecarrier-support adapters includes a platform having a hole therethroughand the mounting posts selectively extend through the holes when thecarrier-support adapters are coupled to the side rails.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 9 , wherein the base includes opposite ends and thehole is positioned to lie adjacent one of the ends.
 11. The apparatus ofclaim 10 , wherein the base of each carrier-support adapter includes alocking tab extending into the channel and the locking tab selectivelyextends through the aperture in the side rail when the carrier-supportadapter is coupled to the stroller.
 12. An apparatus comprising astroller including a frame having wheels attached thereto, a strollerseat having side rails, and a swing unit coupled to the side rail andframe to support the stroller seat on the frame, an infant carrier, andcarrier-support adapters, each carrier-support adapter including a baseselectively coupled to one of the side rails and a carrier mountextending from the base and being selectively coupled to the infantcarrier to support the infant carrier on the stroller seat side rails.13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the base of each carrier-supportadapter includes a platform and a tab portion extending from theplatform and engaging the side rail when the base is coupled to the siderail.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the base includes opposingside walls defining a channel therebetween and the tab portion extendsfrom one of the side walls.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein thebase includes a locking tab extending from the platform into the channelbetween the side walls.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the baseincludes opposite ends, the tab portion is positioned to lie adjacentone of the opposite ends and the locking tab is spaced-apart from thetab portion.
 17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the side rail isformed to include an aperture therethrough and the locking tab extendsthrough the aperture.
 18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein each ofthe side rails includes an aperture therethrough and the base includes alocking tab that extends through the aperture and engages the side railwhen the base is coupled to the stroller.
 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the side rail includes a top surface having the aperturetherein and side walls depending from the top surface and the lockingtab selectively engages the one of the side walls.
 20. The apparatus ofclaim 18 , further comprising a canopy that includes a fabric portion, aframe that supports the fabric portion, and mounting posts that arespaced apart from one another, and the mounting posts selectively extendthrough the apertures when the carrier-support adapters are removed fromthe side rails.
 21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein base of each ofthe carrier-support adapters includes a platform having a holetherethrough and the mounting posts selectively extend through the holeswhen the carrier-support adapters are coupled to the side rails.
 22. Theapparatus of claim 21 , wherein the base includes opposite ends and thehole is positioned to lie adjacent one of the ends.
 23. An apparatus formounting an infant carrier thereon, the apparatus comprising a strollerincluding a frame with rollars and side rails, each side rail includingan aperture therethrough, carrier-support adapters, each carrier-supportadapter including a stroller mount selectively coupled to the side railand a carrier mount extending from the stroller mount and being adaptedto engage selectively the infant carrier, the carrier-support adaptersincluding a platform having a hole therethrough and a locking tabextending from the platform and sized for selective extension into theaperture to mount the carrier-support adapter on the side rail, and acanopy including a fabric portion, a frame supporting the fabricportion, and mounting posts configured to selectively extend through theapertures in the side rails when the carrier-support adapters areremoved from the stroller and to selectively extend through the holeswhen the carrier-support adapters are mounted upon the stroller.
 24. Theapparatus of claim 23 , wherein the locking tab is spaced apart from thehole in the platform of the stroller mount.
 25. The apparatus of claim24 , wherein the stroller includes a stroller seat coupled to the siderails.
 26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the stroller includes abasket coupled to the frame and spaced-apart from the stroller seat. 27.The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the side rails are coupled to theframe by a swing unit.
 28. An apparatus comprising a stroller includinga front frame member and a stroller seat coupled to the front framemember, and carrier-support adapters coupled to the front frame memberin a spaced-apart relationship, each of the carrier-support adaptersincluding a base having a rail-receiving channel formed therein and thefront frame member extends through the rail-receiving channel when thecarrier-support adapter is coupled to the stroller.
 29. The apparatus ofclaim 28 , wherein the stroller includes a locking mechanism extendingbetween the front frame member and the base of the carrier-supportmember to couple the carrier-support member on the stroller.
 30. Theapparatus of claim 29 , wherein the frame includes a saddle extendingover the front frame member and locking mechanism is coupled to thesaddle.
 31. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the stroller mountincludes an aperture therein and the locking mechanism is sized forextension through the aperture to lock the carrier-support adapter tothe saddle.
 32. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the lockingmechanism includes pin sized for extension through the aperture and aspring-loaded base.
 33. An apparatus for mounting an infant carrierthereon, the apparatus comprising a stroller including a frame and astroller seat coupled to the frame, and carrier-support adapters, eachcarrier-support adapter including a stroller mount selectively coupledto the stroller and a carrier mount extending from the stroller mountand being adapted to engage selectively the infant carrier, thecarrier-support adapters being spaced-apart and cooperating with thestroller seat to define a child-receiving cavity therebetween.
 34. Theapparatus of claim 33 , wherein the stroller mount of eachcarrier-support adapter is coupled selectively to the frame.
 35. Theapparatus of claim 34 , wherein the frame includes a front frame memberand a rear frame member pivotably coupled to the front frame member andthe stroller mounts are configured to be coupled to the front framemember.
 36. The apparatus of claim 34 , wherein the stroller mount ofeach carrier-support adapter includes a platform and opposing armsextending from the platform and the arms extend about the frame when thestroller mount is coupled to the stroller.
 37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the frame includes a locking mechanism coupled to the frontframe member and the locking mechanism includes a flexible tabconfigured for selective engagement with the stroller mount to couplethe stroller mount to the stroller.
 38. The apparatus of claim 37 ,wherein the stroller mount includes an aperture therein and the flexibletab is formed for extension through the aperture.
 39. The apparatus ofclaim 33 , wherein the stroller mount of each carrier-support adapter iscoupled selectively to the stroller seat.
 40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the stroller seat includes side rails and each stroller mountis configured to be coupled to one of the side rails.
 41. The apparatusof claim 40 , wherein the stroller mount of each carrier-support adapterincludes a platform and arms extending from the platform and the armsstraddle the side rail when the stroller mount is coupled to thestroller seat.
 42. The apparatus of claim 41 , wherein one of the armsincludes a tab portion that engages the side rail when the strollermount is coupled to the stroller seat.
 43. The apparatus of claim 40 ,wherein the side rail includes an aperture therethrough and the strollermount further includes a locking tab that extends from the platform andthrough the aperture when the platform engages the side rail.
 44. Theapparatus of claim 40 , wherein the side rail includes an aperturetherethrough and the stroller mount includes a locking tab that extendsthrough the aperture when the stroller mount is coupled to the strollerseat.
 45. An apparatus comprising a stroller including a stroller seat,an infant carrier, and carrier-support adapters, each carrier-supportadapter including a carrier mount being selectively coupled to theinfant carrier and means for selectively coupling the carrier mount onthe stroller, the coupling means cooperating with the stroller seat todefine a cavity therebetween that is sized to receive the base of theinfant carrier.
 46. The apparatus of claim 45 , wherein the infantcarrier includes a mounting post and the carrier mount includes clamparm having a hook sized to engage the mounting post when infant carrieris in a fully-seated position in the stroller.
 47. The apparatus ofclaim 46 , wherein the clamp arm includes first cam surface positionedto lie adjacent to the hook and configured to pivot the clamp arm in afirst direction when the mounting post contacts the first cam surface.48. The apparatus of claim 47 , wherein the clamp arm includes a secondcam surface positioned to lie adjacent to the first cam surface andconfigured to pivot the clamp arm in a second direction when the secondcam surface is subjected to a contacting force.
 49. The apparatus ofclaim 48 , wherein the infant carrier includes release buttons and eachrelease button includes a bottom end positioned to contact the secondcam surface of the clamp arm when the infant carrier is in thefully-seated position in the stroller.
 50. An apparatus comprising astroller including a stroller seat, an infant carrier, andcarrier-support adapters, each carrier-support adapter including astroller mount selectively coupled to the stroller and a carrier mountextending from the stroller mount and being selectively coupled to theinfant carrier, the carrier-support adapters and the stroller seatdefining a cavity sized to receive the infant carrier therein.
 51. Theapparatus of claim 50 , wherein the stroller includes a frame and thestroller mount of each carrier-support adapter is coupled selectively tothe frame.
 52. The apparatus of claim 51 , wherein the frame includes aframe member and a saddle extending over the frame member and thestroller mount is coupled selectively to the saddle.
 53. The apparatusof claim 52 , wherein the saddle includes opposing panels defining acavity therebetween and a locking mechanism configured to coupleselectively the stroller mount.
 54. The apparatus of claim 53 , whereinthe stroller mount includes an aperture therein and the lockingmechanism of the saddle is sized for extension through the aperture tolock the carrier-support adapter to the saddle.
 55. The apparatus ofclaim 54 , wherein the locking mechanism includes pin sized forextension through the aperture and a spring-loaded base.
 56. Theapparatus of claim 53 , wherein the locking mechanism includes a pinspring-biased into engagement with the stroller mount.
 57. The apparatusof claim 51 , wherein the frame includes a front frame member and a rearframe member pivotably coupled to the front frame member and thestroller mounts are configured to be coupled to the front frame member.58. The apparatus of claim 51 , wherein the stroller mount of eachcarrier-support adapter includes a platform and opposing arms extendingfrom the platform and the arms extend about the frame when the strollermount is coupled to the stroller.
 59. The apparatus of claim 50 ,wherein the stroller mount of each carrier-support adapter is coupledselectively to the stroller seat.
 60. The apparatus of claim 59 ,wherein the stroller seat includes side rails and each stroller mount isconfigured to be coupled to one of the side rails.
 61. The apparatus ofclaim 60 , wherein the stroller mount of each carrier-support adapterincludes a platform and opposing arms extending from the platform andthe arms straddle the side rail when the platform stroller mount iscouple to the stroller.
 62. The apparatus of claim 61 , wherein one ofthe arms includes a tab portion that selectively engages the side rail.63. The apparatus of claim 61 , wherein the side rail includes anaperture therethrough and the stroller mount further includes a lockingtab that extends from the platform and through the aperture when theplatform engages the side rail.
 64. The apparatus of claim 50 , whereinthe stroller mount of each carrier-support adapter includes a platformand opposing arms extending from the platform.
 65. The apparatus ofclaim 64 , wherein one of the arms includes a tab portion thatselectively engages the stroller when the carrier-support adapter iscoupled to the stroller.
 66. An apparatus comprising a strollerincluding a frame and a stroller seat coupled to the frame, and a pairof removable carrier-support adapters positioned and mounted to supporta removable infant carrier on the frame and above the stroller seat. 67.The apparatus of claim 66 , wherein the carrier-support adapters aresnapped onto the frame.
 68. The apparatus of claim 67 , wherein thestroller seat is fixed to the frame.
 69. The apparatus of claim 66 ,wherein the carrier-support adapters are snapped onto the stroller seat.70. The apparatus of claim 69 , wherein the stroller seat is mounted forcontrolled movement relative to the frame.
 71. The apparatus of claim 66, wherein the stroller includes a canopy and the canopy is selectivelycoupled to the frame and to the carrier-support adapters.
 72. Theapparatus of claim 66 , wherein the stroller includes a canopy and thecanopy is selectively coupled to the stroller seat and to thecarrier-support adapters.